Sleep aid with position indicator along with method incorporating same

ABSTRACT

An infant sleep positioner for supporting an infant upon a support surface, including a cushion that has an elongate pad of a selected size and configuration. The pad has a lower surface adapted to confront the support surface and an upper surface opposite the lower surface. The upper surface may be oriented at an acute angle with respect to the lower surface such that the upper surface is inclined relative to the support surface along a longitudinal axis extending between first and second end portions of the pad. The sleep positioner also includes a sleep position indicator including a flap that is movably attached relative to the cushion between a first position to inform a first position of the infant with respect to the infant sleep positioner, and a second position to inform a second position of the infant with respect to the infant sleep positioner.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/014,645, filed Jan. 15, 2008, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/013,382,filed Jan. 11, 2008, which claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/897,740, filed on Jan. 24, 2007, the disclosures ofwhich are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

According to many medical experts, infants who sleep on their back orside have a reduced risk of dying from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome(SIDS) when compared to those who sleep on their stomachs. Starting in1992, the American Academy of Pediatrics began recommending that infantssleep on their back/side in an effort to reduce the incidence of SIDS.One of the theories being that small infants with little or no controlof their heads may, while face down, smother themselves on theirbedding. In an effort to reduce the risk of SIDS, various infant sleepaids, such as infant sleep positioners, have been developed. Forexample, the INFANT SUPPORT SYSTEM as described in U.S. Pat. No.6,877,176 B2, issued Apr. 12, 2005 to Houghteling, includes a cushionfor supporting an infant and includes positioning support members formaintaining the infant in a safe sleeping position. In addition, thecasing of the cushion includes breathable material to help preventsuffocation.

Since the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics thatinfants sleep lying on their back/side, infants are more often placed ina supine position for sleeping. An unanticipated effect of the supinesleeping position is an increase in the number of infants developingdeformational or positional plagiocephaly. Positional plagiocephaly ischaracterized by a flat spot on the back or one side of the infant'shead. Positional plagiocephaly is caused by the infant's head remainingin one position for too long or being repeatedly positioned in the samemanner while sleeping. A newborn infant's skull is relatively deformabledue to flexibility of the bone plates and non-fusion between adjacentbone plates. This flexibility allows the infant's skull to pass throughthe mother's pelvis during birth, but also allows the skull to deform ifit remains in one place for too long. Experts now recommend that infantssleep on their back with their head positioned on one side or the otherto prevent a flat or misshapen area in the back of their skull. However,if an infant spends too much time sleeping with his/her head positionedon the same side, plagiocephaly may occur on the side of the infant'shead. If the weight of the infant's head is allowed to exert pressure onthe same side of the infant's head for too long, the skull deformationmay become permanent.

In an effort to reduce the instances of plagiocephaly while continuingto protect infants against the possibility of SIDS, some manufacturershave marketed infant positioners that encourage an infant's parents toplace the infant on his/her back with a reminder to indicate which wayto position the infant's head within the sleep positioner. Specifically,the INFANT SAFETY SYSTEM described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,213,281 B2, issuedMay 8, 2007 to Hahn, includes a concave back support and abdominalsupport for positioning an infant on its side. The position marker isattached to the infant positioner with Velcro and may be moved from sideto side to indicate how to position the infant within the positioner.The position marker is intended to remind the parent to alternate thepositioning of the infant to help ensure the infant does not spend toomuch time with his/her head on one side.

While current products appear helpful in reducing the instances of SIDSand plagiocephaly, there is still room for improvement in the areas ofconvenience and versatility for sleep aids in general, sleep positionindicators in particular. Similarly, it is believed that thebreathability features of infant sleep positioners can be enhanced tofurther reduce cases of sudden infant death. Accordingly, there is aneed for a more versatile sleep position indicator that it is simpler touse, thereby encouraging its use.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides, in one sense, a sleep aid for use as areminder of how to orient an individual on a sleeping or restingsurface, such as a pad, to help reduce instances of plagiocephaly. Inanother sense, the invention relates to a pad construction upon which anindividual can rest or sleep, which pad construction greatly reduces, ifnot altogether eliminates, the chance of suffocation. The ordinarilyskilled artisan will appreciate that each of these advantages can berealized individually or together in a common sleep aid.

While various terms may be used throughout the description to follow,each one of these terms should certainly not be construed in a limitingsense. For example, while the description to follow describes thevarious embodiments in the context of an infant either resting or asleepon a sleep aid, it should be appreciated that the teachings herein canbe employed with any suitably sized and configured sleep aid for whichan individual might benefit. Thus, the individual need not be an infant,but could be a patient or other physically handicapped individual whoseresting or sleeping position needs to be closely monitored and adjustedfrom time to time. Furthermore, the term “sleep” as used herein shouldnot be construed in a limiting sense to imply that the variousembodiments can only be employed in circumstances where an individualneeds to actually fall asleep, but rather more broadly contemplates anycircumstance in which an individual might need to assume a reposedposition or otherwise be positioned on a surface in a particular manner,wherein such environment might benefit from a position reminder systemas discussed herein. Finally, where various device constructions aredescribed for use with an infant to alleviate, if not eliminate, therisk of suffocation, other individuals could likewise benefit from theteachings herein. Infants, for example, are not physically developed tothe extent that they have sufficient muscle control in the neck andother regions to move their head from side to side without assistance.The same could be true for individuals of any age having physicalconditions which also require the assistance of caretakers. Then, suchindividuals could also benefit from the teachings herein.

In accordance with the above objectives, broadly provided is a sleep aidin the form of an infant sleep positioner, which comprises a cushionthat includes an elongate pad of selected size and configuration. Asleep position indicator is movably disposed on the sleep aid. The sleepposition indicator is movable between a first position which visuallyinforms a first head position for the individual and a second positionwhich visually informs a second head position for the individual.Preferred embodiments relate to an infant sleep aid for use in reducinga risk of plagiocephaly.

A casing preferably surrounds the pad and has a bottom panel forconfronting the support surface and a top panel providing a support forthe infant when placed thereon. This top panel has a head portion.

In one embodiment, an infant sleep positioner for supporting an infantupon a support surface, includes a cushion where the upper surface maybe oriented at an acute angle with respect to the lower surface suchthat the upper surface is inclined relative to the support surface alonga longitudinal axis extending between first and second end portions ofthe pad.

In this embodiment the sleep positioner also includes a sleep positionindicator including a flap that is movably attached relative to thecushion between a first position to inform a first position of theinfant with respect to the infant sleep positioner, and a secondposition to inform a second position of the infant with respect to theinfant sleep positioner. The flap includes first indicia correspondingto a first body position of the infant, and a second side of the flapincludes second indicia corresponding to a second body position of theinfant. The indicia may include a depiction of an animal's head forrespectively informing first and second head positions of the infantwith respect to the infant sleep positioner.

The sleep positioner's pad extends along a longitudinal axis, andwherein the flap is movably disposed in opposite directions that areeach parallel to the longitudinal axis. Alternatively, the pad extendsalong a longitudinal axis, and wherein the flap is movably disposed inopposite directions that are each transverse to the longitudinal axis.The sleep positioner may also include a casing that substantiallysurrounds the pad and supports the flap. The flap is attached to thecasing and may project away from the casing.

In yet another embodiment the cushion includes a first downwardlysloping concave surface configured to support a back of an infant whenplaced against it, the concave surface having a slope within a range of20 degrees to 85 degrees, inclusively. The cushion also includes asecond upwardly sloping surface configured to support a stomach and/orchest of the infant. The first downwardly sloping concave surface andthe second upwardly sloping surface are part of a continuous surfacewhich does not contain any substantially flat portion therebetween. Thecushion includes a pad defining the continuous surface and a casing thatsubstantially surrounds the pad, and wherein the flap is attached to thecasing. In this embodiment the pad is elongate to accommodate an infantwhen placed thereon in a reposed position such that the infant extendsalong a longitudinal axis of the pad, and wherein the flap is movablydisposed in opposite directions that are each parallel to thelongitudinal axis.

The sleep positioners may further comprise a positioning member orplurality of positioning members each of a selected size andconfiguration supported on the upper surface of the pad. The positioningmembers are releasably attached relative to the cushion.

Also contemplated is a method for reducing a risk of plagiocephaly ininfants. According to the method, an elongate cushion and a sleepposition indicator are provided. The sleep position indicator is placedin either a first or second position. The infant is placed in a reposedposition on the support such that the infant's head is orientated in oneof a first and second direction. The infant remains in this position fora selected interval of time, after which the sleep position indicatormay be moved to the other position and the infant may be re-situatedwith his/her head orientated in the other direction.

These and other objects of the present invention will become morereadily appreciated and understood from a consideration of the followingdetailed description of the exemplary embodiments when taken togetherwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an infant asleep in a reposed positionon an infant sleep aid according to a first exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of the infant sleepaid of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3( a) is a top plan view of the infant sleep aid shown in FIG. 1,and with the infant depicted in a first sleep position;

FIG. 3( b) is a top plan view of the infant sleep aid shown in FIG. 1,and with the infant asleep in a second sleep position;

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the infant sleep aid with itssleep position indicator in a first position as shown in FIG. 3( a);

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of an alternative construction forthe first exemplary embodiment of the infant sleep aid;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the sleep position indicator for use withthe various embodiments described herein;

FIG. 7 is a front view in elevation of the sleep position indicatorintroduced in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second exemplary embodiment for aninfant sleep aid;

FIG. 9 is a right side view in elevation of the infant sleep aid shownin FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a third exemplary embodiment of aninfant sleep aid;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a fourth exemplary embodiment of aninfant sleep aid;

FIG. 12 is a partial view of a fifth exemplary embodiment of an infantsleep aid;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a sixth exemplary embodiment of aninfant sleep aid; and

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a seventh exemplary embodiment of aninfant sleep aid.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Initial reference is made to FIG. 1 which introduces a first exemplaryembodiment of a sleep aid 10. Sleep aid 10 is sized and adapted for usewith an infant 12 and, to this end, can be considered an infant sleepaid. Sleep aid 10 broadly comprises a support shown here to be in theform of a cushion 14 and a sleep position indicator 16. Support 14 is awedge-shaped cushion employed as a sleep positioner. This cushion isconstructed similarly to the support cushion used in the INFANT SUPPORTSYSTEM described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,877,176 B2, issued Apr. 12, 2005 toHoughteling, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

As such, and with reference to FIG. 2, the sleep aid's support cushion14 is generally constructed of a casing 18 which receives a resilientpad 20 in a close-fitted relationship. Further, casing 18 can beconstructed of various panel sections including a head panel 22 and footpanel 24, which have respective confronting edges and are stitched orotherwise joined (permanently or releasably) together to form junction26. Head and foot panels 22 and 24, thus, form a continuous, two-piecetop panel 28 which may be joined to a one-piece bottom panel 30 (FIGS. 4& 5) about the majority of its peripheral margin.

While there are a variety of materials which can be employed for cushion14, it has been surprisingly found that certain materials in combinationcan be employed to substantially reduce, if not eliminate, the risk ofsuffocation during use. To this end, head panel portion 22 is preferablya 100% polyester or “sandwich fabric” currently utilized, for example,in various infant-related products marketed by Basic Comfort, Inc. ofDenver, Colo. under the trademark Flothru™. Further, it is desired thatfoot panel 24 be formed as a tri-layer polyester construction thatincludes an outer layer that is 100% polyester tricot, a bottom layerthat is 100% polyester fine mesh, and an intermediate layer that is 100%polyester fiber. The remainder of the casing may also be formed of thismaterial but could, alternatively, be formed of a fabric that is 50%cotton and 50% polyester. The materials for the casing are, therefore,consistent with those described in the above-incorporated '176 patent toHoughteling.

It is thought, however, to be unique to utilize such a casingconstruction in conjunction with a resilient pad 20 that is preferablyformed as a 100% polyurethane open cell foam, sometimes referred to asreticulated foam. Recently, foam of this type has enjoyed widespread usein outdoor applications, such as cushions for outdoor patio furniture,due to its fast-drying characteristics and ease of cleaning. Reticulatedfoam allows bodily fluids to pass straight through pad 20 which helps toprovide a drier surface for the infant to lie on. Cleaning reticulatedfoam is also much easier because the fluid does not absorb into the pad.Indeed, these pads have traditionally been formed of regular closed cellfoam or memory foam, which has the tendency to trap fluids, thus makingthem more difficult to clean. It has been found that when reticulatedfoam is used in conjunction with the Flothru™ material, or equivalent,there is an additional advantage of breathability which can help preventsuffocation. Accordingly, one of the aspects of the teachings herein isthe provision of a sleep aid which exhibits one or a combination of thecharacteristics of breathability to substantially reduce the risk ofsuffocation, resistance to absorbing fluid, and quick-drying. Theordinarily skilled artisan would appreciate that various articles ofmanufacture having suitable configurations could be designed toaccomplish such objectives including, but not limited to, pads,blankets, mats, positioning members, sleep positioners for individuals,such as infants, and support systems for infants and other individuals.

Refer now to FIGS. 3( a), 3(b) and 4 which introduce certaincharacteristics of the sleep position indicator 16 and its use inconjunction with cushion 14 to create the sleep aid 10. Sleep positionindicator 16 is preferably an elongate member which is movable relativeto the cushion between first and second positions corresponding to firstand second sleep positions for the infant. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3( a),sleep position indicator 16 is in a first position relative to cushion14 so that it provides a directional reminder of how to orient theinfant 12 during sleep. FIG. 3( b) shows the sleep position indicator 16moved into a second position to provide a second directional reminderfor orienting the infant 12. It has been found, as mentioned above inthe background section, that plagiocephaly can be prevented, or its riskreduced, by alternating infants between sleeping positions such as shownin FIGS. 3( a) and 3(b). However, those who have raised children areintimately familiar with the arduous task at hand. When a parent isimmersed in trying to handle the numerous responsibilities involved, itcan be difficult to keep one's mind focused on a baby's sleepingposition when even one child is involved, let alone multiples.Accordingly, the invention, in one of its forms as described herein,provides a convenient reminder system which can greatly facilitate thisprocess.

Thus, if an infant is placed in an initial sleeping position in whichhe/she is facing the left side (from the prospective of the infant), thesleep position indicator 16 can be moved to a corresponding position(i.e. the right side as viewed from the top in FIG. 3( a)) so that itvisibly protrudes from the right side of the cushion 14. The sleepposition indicator 16 can then be moved to its second position as shownin FIG. 3( b) so that a caretaker is reminded that the infant 12 shouldbe placed such that he/she is facing the right side during the nextsleeping interval. Depending on a caretaker's particular preference, thesleep position indicator 16 could be moved prior, during, or after agiven sleep interval to serve as a reminder of either the previous ornext orientation for the infant.

With the above understanding in mind, a preferred construction forlocating the sleep position indicator 16 relative to the cushion isshown in FIG. 4. Here, sleeve 32 is sewn or otherwise affixed to thecovering's bottom panel 30 to provide a slideway 34 along which thesleep position indicator 16 travels between the first and secondreminder positions. Of course, one or more suitably sized loops couldalso be used in place of an elongate sleeve to create a slideway.

An alternative construction which has been contemplated is shown in FIG.5 wherein spaced-apart button holes 36(1) and 36(2) are formed in thebottom panel to define a slideway 34(1) between bottom panel 30 and theinterior foam along which the sleep position indicator 16 travels. Ineach of the constructions illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, it may beappreciated that sleep position indicator 16 spans a majority of adimension of the cushion, in this case its shorter transverse width.However, other configurations for sleep aids are contemplated whichcould benefit from a longitudinal dimension of the cushion. Such aconstruction, for example, is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 7,213,281 B2,issued May 8, 2007 to Hahn and assigned to the Alfred E. Mann Institutefor Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California, thedisclosure of which is also incorporated by reference in its entirety.Of course, the artisan should appreciate that an elongate, slideablesleep position indicator such as described in the present applicationcould be incorporated into the bottom panel or other area of the infantpositioner without departing from the inventive concepts containedherein.

Refer now to FIGS. 6 and 7 which illustrate a preferred construction forthe sleep position indicator 16. Sleep position indicator 16 is anelongate symmetrical construction having a narrow band portion 40 and apair of opposed, and relatively enlarged, tabs 42(1) and 42(2) joined toband portion 40. Depending on one's perspective, tab 42(1) can beconsidered the left tab, while tab 42(2) can be considered the righttab. Band 40 serves as a slider to allow sleep position indicator 16 tomove between the first and second (i.e. left and right) reminderpositions as discussed above. It is, therefore, preferred that the tabsbe enlarged relative to the band, as best shown in FIG. 6, to preventinadvertent removal of the sleep position indicator from the slideway inwhich its band travels. As also shown in FIG. 6, each of the tabs 42(1)and 42(2) includes indicia to assist in reminding a caretaker of thenext or previous position intended for the infant, whichever the casemay be. Thus, left tab 42(1) includes indicia 44(1) corresponding to aninfant's head facing to the left, while right tab 42(2) is provided withindicia 44(2) corresponding to an infant's head facing to the right. Asmay be appreciated with reference to FIG. 7, each of the indicia 44(1)and 44(2) may be formed as raised portions on their respective tabs42(1) and 42(2). Of course, various other constructions for the sleepposition indicator 16 are contemplated which would be suitable foraccomplishing the purposes described herein. For example, reliefindicia, as opposed to raised indicia, could be provided. The indiciacould be accomplished by a suitable sticker or other material affixed tothe tabs and, of course, other types of indicia could be provided suchas “N” to indicate the next orientation for the baby or “P” to indicatethe previous position for the baby. Indeed, the shapes of the tabsthemselves could provide the suitable reminder system. For example, thetabs could be configured as arrow heads to indicate position.

A suitable material for sleep position indicator 16 is a food graderubber or plastic so that it has the characteristics of being able to becleaned. Furthermore, it is preferred that the material have some degreeof flexibility so that the tabs can be manipulated to allow forinsertion and removal of the indicator relative to the cushion where aconstruction, such as employed above, is provided where the tabs areenlarged relative to the sleeve or button holes. A thermoplasticelastomer of choice is commonly marketed under the designation 95A TPE.

With the foregoing in mind, alternative constructions for sleep aidswhich are contemplated are briefly discussed with reference to theremaining figures. In FIGS. 8 and 9, a sleep aid 110 is illustratedwhich preferably corresponds to that described in my co-pendingapplication Ser. No. 12/013,382, filed Jan. 11, 2008 and entitledFORMABLE SLEEP POSITIONER ALONG WITH METHOD FOR ADJUSTING SAME. Sleepaid 110 is in the form of an adjustable infant sleep positioner whichcan have its head portion 112 inclined relative to its base 114. Here,sleep position indicator 116 may be suitably provided so that it spanstransversely across the positioner in a slideway formed in base portion114, as representatively shown.

Other forms of sleep aids are shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 to be in the formof substantially planar pads. In FIG. 10, sleep aid 210 is constructedas a thin pad having a head portion 222 and a foot portion 224 asdiscussed above, along with the sleep position indicator 216 projectinglaterally from the head portion 222. Sleep aid 310, on the other hand,is formed as a thin pad with its entire top panel 328 corresponding tothat discussed above with reference to foot panel portion 24 (see FIG.2). Here, sleep position indicator 316 runs medially along thelongitudinal side edge(s) of the sleep aid. The sleep aids of FIGS. 10and 11 illustrate that any suitably configured pad, or even a sheet,could be devised and constructed to allow for the use of a sleepposition indicator as described. Thus, the teachings herein should notbe unduly limited to any particular construction for the cushions, pads,sheets, etc. which incorporate the sleep position indicator.

Furthermore, the teachings herein should not be unduly limited to anyparticular construction of the sleep position indicator. For example,FIG. 12 illustrates a portion of a sleep aid 410 with a sleep positionindicator 416 in the form of a flap. In this embodiment the sleep aidincludes a cushion 414 that includes pad 420 encased by a top panel 428and a bottom panel 430. Flap 416 is supported by top panel 428. Itshould be understood that flap 416 could be disposed anywhere on thesleep aid such that the flap is visible and movable from a firstposition d₁ to inform a first position of an infant to a second positiond₂ to inform a second position of the infant. Accordingly, flap 416could be attached to a horizontal, vertical, or angled surfaces of thesleep aid. Furthermore, the flap could be removably or permanentlydisposed on other portions of the cushion 414, rather than the casingitself.

In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 13, sleep aid 510 is comprised of awedge shaped cushion 514 with a surrounding casing 524 and having alongitudinal axis L₁. Infant 512 extends along axis L₁ in a reposedposition. Sleep position indicator flap 516 projects from cushion 514wherein flap 516 is movable in opposite directions that are eachtransverse to the longitudinal axis L₁. That is, as viewed from the topdown in FIGS. 12 and 13, it moves left or right. Flap 516 also includesindicia 544. In this embodiment indicia 544 includes a depiction of ananimal's head for informing of a head position of an infant. As shown inthe figure, indicia 544 is that of a baby's head facing in the directionof the infant's, thereby indicating the current head position of theinfant. Both sides of the flap include indicia for indicating theinfants respective head position. FIG. 13 also illustrates that thesleep aid may include positioning members 550(1) and 550(2), one or moreof which may be movably disposed on the upper surface of cushion 514, asdescribed more thoroughly in the above-incorporated '176 patent toHoughteling.

In yet another embodiment, shown in FIG. 14, infant 612 lies in areposed position on sleep aid 610 along the cushion's 614 longitudinalaxis L₂. In this embodiment sleep position indicator 616 is movablydisposed on cushion 614 in opposite directions that are each parallel tothe longitudinal axis L₂. Here again, the sleep position indicator maybe attached at various locations relative to the sleep aid. For example,an alternate location for the flap is indicated by flap 616′, located ona front vertical surface of sleep aid 610. The particular constructionof cushion 614 is described more thoroughly in the above-incorporated'281 patent to Hahn.

With the foregoing in mind, a method is also contemplated for recordingone of a next or previous sleep positions for an individual, such as aninfant or other person in need of assistance. According to the method,an infant positioner is provided having a cushion of a selected size andconfiguration along with a sleep position indicator, preferably in theform of a flap attached to the cushion. The sleep indicator is operativeto move between one of a first position to inform a first position of aninfant and a second position to inform a second position of the infant.Other features of the various methods contemplated by the presentinvention should be readily recognized from the previous description ofthe exemplary embodiments.

Accordingly, the present invention has been described with some degreeof particularity directed to the exemplary embodiments thereof. Itshould be appreciated, though, that the present invention is defined bythe following claims construed in light of the prior art so thatmodifications or changes may be made to the exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention without departing from the inventive conceptscontained herein.

1. An infant sleep positioner for supporting an infant upon a support surface, comprising: a. a cushion including an elongate pad of selected size and configuration, said pad having a lower surface adapted to confront the support surface and an upper surface opposite the lower surface; and b. a sleep position indicator including a flap that is movably attached relative to said cushion between a first position to inform a first position of the infant with respect to the infant sleep positioner, and a second position to inform a second position of the infant with respect to said infant sleep positioner.
 2. An infant sleep positioner according to claim 1 wherein a first side of said flap includes first indicia corresponding to a first body position of the infant, and a second side of said flap includes second indicia corresponding to a second body position of the infant.
 3. An infant sleep positioner according to claim 2 wherein each of said first indicia and said second indicia includes a depiction of an animal's head for respectively informing first and second head positions of the infant with respect to said infant sleep positioner.
 4. An infant sleep positioner according to claim 1 wherein said pad extends along a longitudinal axis, and wherein said flap is movably disposed in opposite directions that are each parallel to the longitudinal axis.
 5. An infant sleep positioner according to claim 1 wherein said pad extends along a longitudinal axis, and wherein said flap is movably disposed in opposite directions that are each transverse to the longitudinal axis.
 6. An infant sleep positioner according to claim 1 wherein said cushion includes a casing that substantially surrounds said pad, and wherein said flap is supported by said casing.
 7. An infant sleep positioner according to claim 6 wherein said flap projects away from said casing.
 8. An infant sleep positioner according to claim 6 wherein said flap is attached to said casing.
 9. An infant sleep positioner for positioning an infant on its side, comprising: a. a cushion, including: i. a first downwardly sloping concave surface configured to support a back of the infant when placed against it, said concave surface having a slope within a range of 20 degrees to 85 degrees, inclusively; and ii. a second upwardly sloping surface configured to support a stomach and/or chest of the infant; wherein the first downwardly sloping concave surface and the second upwardly sloping surface are part of a continuous surface which does not contain any substantially flat portion therebetween; and b. a sleep position indicator projecting from said cushion, said sleep position indicator including a flap that is movable between a first position to inform a first position of the infant with respect to the infant sleep positioner, and a second position to inform a second position of the infant with respect to the infant sleep positioner.
 10. An infant sleep positioner according to claim 9 wherein said cushion includes a pad defining said continuous surface and a casing that substantially surrounds said pad, and wherein said flap is attached to said casing.
 11. An infant sleep positioner according to claim 9 wherein said pad is elongate to accommodate an infant when placed thereon in a reposed position such that the infant extends along a longitudinal axis of the pad, and wherein said flap is movably disposed in opposite directions that are each parallel to the longitudinal axis.
 12. An infant sleep positioner according to claim 9 wherein a first side of said flap includes first indicia corresponding to a first body position of the infant, and a second side of said flap includes second indicia corresponding to a second body position of the infant.
 13. An infant sleep positioner according to claim 12 wherein each of said first indicia and said second indicia includes a depiction of an animal's head for respectively informing first and second head positions of the infant with respect to the infant sleep positioner.
 14. An infant sleep positioner for supporting an infant on a support surface, comprising: a. a cushion including a pad of selected size and configuration, said pad having a lower surface adapted to confront the support surface and an upper surface opposite the lower surface, said upper surface oriented at an acute angle with respect to said lower surface such that said upper surface is inclined relative to the support surface along a longitudinal axis extending between first and second end portions of said pad; and b. a sleep position indicator projecting from said cushion, said sleep position indicator including a flap that is movable between a first position to inform a first position of the infant with respect to the infant sleep positioner, and a second position to inform a second position of the infant with respect to the infant sleep positioner.
 15. An infant sleep positioner according to claim 14 further comprising at least a first positioning member of a selected size and configuration supported on the upper surface of said pad.
 16. An infant sleep positioner according to claim 15 further comprising a second positioning member of a selected size and configuration supported on the upper surface of said pad.
 17. An infant sleep positioner according to claim 16 wherein at least one of said first and second positioning members is releasably attached relative to said cushion.
 18. An infant sleep positioner according to claim 14 wherein said cushion includes a casing that substantially surrounds said pad, and wherein said flap is attached to said casing.
 19. An infant sleep positioner according to claim 14 wherein said flap is movably disposed in opposite directions that are each transverse to the longitudinal axis.
 20. An infant sleep positioner according to claim 14 wherein a first side of said flap includes first indicia corresponding to a first body position of the infant, and a second side of said flap includes second indicia corresponding to a second body position of the infant.
 21. An infant sleep positioner according to claim 16 wherein each of said first indicia and said second indicia includes a depiction of an animal's head for respectively informing first and second head positions of the infant with respect to the infant sleep positioner. 